Iliman Ndiaye will return to Everton as a champion of Africa after helping Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in the AFCON final, earning a winners’ medal and a major confidence boost for the rest of the season under David Moyes.
The 25-year-old forward’s achievement has drawn admiration from across the game, including from new Manchester City signing Antoine Semenyo.
Both Ndiaye and Semenyo share similar humble beginnings, having climbed from non-league football to the Premier League, which makes the Ghanaian’s praise especially meaningful.
On Instagram, Semenyo celebrated Senegal’s success by telling the Everton No.10: “You are my goat (greatest of all time) well done brother, deserve it man.” The Ghanaian attacker, who has just completed a £65 million move to City, is widely regarded as one of Europe’s in-form attackers, so his words underline how much respect Ndiaye commands among his peers.
Everton fans, already delighted by their playmaker’s AFCON success, will hope this momentum translates into decisive performances back at Hill Dickinson Stadium as the club battles through the second half of the campaign.
Semenyo once came to joining Everton himself. Back in 2022, the Toffees, Bournemouth and Crystal Palace were all in talks with Bristol City, with Everton able to sign him for around £15 million before Bournemouth eventually closed a £10.5 million deal the following January.
That sliding-doors moment has since seen Semenyo’s value soar, while Ndiaye has emerged as a key figure at Everton, with supporters now calling on the club to secure his long-term future with a new contract.
